Item: Get Duked!
Rating: 8
Author: Matt Rooney

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Story: A leisurely test of survival in the Scottish Highlands goes awry when four teenagers become targets of a deadly hunt, requiring them to work together to survive against more than just the scenic countryside.

Review: The ultimate success of writer/director Ninian Doff’s comedy GET DUKED! is that where before the thought of being chased through the vastness of the Scottish Highlands by crazy rich people in creepy masks would sound unnerving, it will now only recall fond memories of this madcap, incredibly funny adventure. Really, any movie that features Eddie Izzard hunting down teens who more than once get insanely high via rabbit poo would be tops right out of the gate, but luckily, this world-class, bonkers farce offers so much more to get the belly laughing.

People who keep their eyes on the film festival circuit have likely heard whispers here and there about Doff’s film – back when it was called BOYZ IN THE WOOD coming out of SXSW in 2019 – and over a year later it’s now the perfect kind of movie for times I will call — for the sake of keeping things on the lighter side — troubling. Our tale centers on four teens – rebellious friends DJ Beatroot (Viraj Juneja), Dean (Rian Gordon) and Duncan (Lewis Gribben) and overachieving outcast Ian (Samuel Bottomley) – who are left among the endless rolling green fields and grey skies of the Scottish Highlands to complete in the Duke of Edinburgh awards, a survival competition designed to turn rambunctious young folk into proper good adults. But, as is often the case, things are not as they seem, and the lads are forced to survive against two murderous aristocrats (Izzard, Georgie Glen) who are hunting them for sport in what soon goes from good-ole time in the Highlands to full-on class warfare.

I say it’s a perfect movie for this moment in time because, like “The Most Dangerous Game” with a hip-hop spin and pumped full of psychedelic drugs, it’s a brisk 86-minutes with a script packed with an onslaught of colorful characters and an unabashedly goofy sense of humor that makes the most of the premise. Doff finds himself in the company of filmmakers like Taika Waititi, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish (and their films like HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, HOT FUZZ and ATTACK THE BLOCK) in that his movie is completely aware of how silly everything is, and with a game cast, he leans in full tilt and keeps everything moving so quickly while exploring the friendship and bond between the four teens and the satirical undertones without a hitch. In a world that seems increasingly engulfed in flame, it’s the kind of movie that you will have no problem surrendering your time to and coming out with a big smile plastered on your face.

While the supporting cast of characters is hugely entertaining, the four young leading actors are engaging entirely on their own. Before things get properly bonkers, it’s the four of them messing around while just trying to get through the challenge. Whether it’s Dean trying to get them high, the delightfully boneheaded Duncan willingly grabbing electric fences, DJ Beatroot laying down some verses for social media, or the more level-headed Ian genuinely trying to do well for the award, all of them feel like fully-rounded characters who have relaxed, playful energy that makes you think that wandering open fields could’ve been much more fun for the "Lord of the Rings" gang. And while seasoned viewers of coming-of-age tales may expect the characters to go through some big, heartfelt changes, Doff’s approach makes it clear these characters, while rowdy, are perfectly fine as they are, concluding by the end that though there’s nothing wrong with a little growth, that maybe it’s not the youth who need to be forced to change their attitudes.

As for that supporting cast, veterans like Izzard, Glen, James Cosmo, Jonathan Aris and Kate Dickie make up the band of adults who either have gone off the wall or don’t have much of a clue as to the severity of what’s happening in the Highlands. Izzard and Glen are utter perfection as the stuffy murderers who aim to get rid of the rowdy young men, of whom they believe are wasting the spoils the rich, upper-class members of society like them have so graciously given the new generation. They don’t get a ton of screen time centered just the two of them – mostly viewed from the POV of the teens – which means that while they don’t get huge chunks of dialogue they manage to get in several hysterical one-liners and bits. Then there's Dickie and Kevin Guthrie as local police officers who become privy to the chaos in the Highlands, but in proper Waititian fashion — wherein the adults are portrayed as far sillier than the younger characters — put potential “terrorists” and “urban gang” activity just above catching the notorious “Bread Thief” on the priority list. This side of the story doesn’t feel as intrical to the story other than as a means to an end, but their side of the story does stand as one of the funniest subplots I’ve seen in recent memory, and Dickie is especially genius throughout.

Even when the story isn’t all that strong – like how the nature of the hunter's group doesn’t get quite the attention it should in order to make sense of how exactly all these murdered teens would go so unnoticed – it manages to balances it out with a strong amount of heart and depth. There’s a rather worthwhile and unexpected subtext condemning members of the older, English upper-class that have made life for the younger generation so much harder, even though they demonize the youth for their rebellious nature and supposed lack of initiative. That does give DUKED a welcome social conscious, while the true core of the story is the emphasis on the friendship between the boys, which in a movie that can be so wonderfully strange ensures it’s never lacking an old-school sense of sweetness. Whether you're enjoying it for the rabbit poo trips or on a deeper level of classist clashes, the sheer range on display offers more than enough to find rewarding.

Discussing GET DUKED would be worthless without also dropping a nod to the soundtrack. Known for his music videos, Doff has a keen ear for music, and the hip-hop soundtrack featuring songs from Injury Reserve, Run the Jewels, Vince Staples and more adds a unique flair that makes it stand out when shit really hits the fan. Between that perfectly placed music, the sheer breadth of hilarity in the script, and the great performances he gets from his cast, Doff’s GET DUKED! is easily one of the most entertaining movies of the year so far and makes him a name to look out for. Additionally, it will make you appreciate the bread in your life all the more deeply. Hold that sourdough close, and never take it for granted.